Friday, 28 March 2014

So a few weeks ago the very lovely Clare from The Summerhouse by the sea nominated me for this very special award, and if I am honest, I was very touched by it all!! This is what she wrote in her post: 'First up we have the lovely Hannapats blog, which is a joy to read, such a positive and fun place to escape to, it's really an inspiration as to how much can be achieved even when you are battling this terrible illness. Plus there are lots of tips and healthy recipes.'

As I have mentioned before it was never really my intention to make this blog about my struggles with Fybromyalgia/ME, but seeing that it is just such a big part of my life, I have found it near impossible to exclude it. You see my first dilemma came about last May when I knew that ME Awareness week was fast approaching and I just knew that I couldn't NOT use my blog as a platform to raise awareness, so I just felt that I had to bite the bullet and get on with it. Don't get me wrong writing this first post was very far from easy and I very nearly didn't post it, but I kept thinking of all the thousands of people affected by this debilitating condition and how people really need to start being a little more aware of this so called 'silent illness'. You can read my first post here. I also included three videos in this post, which might be of interest to some of you and also some information for those looking for some support.

Another M.E post was inspired by one of my bloggy friends, someone I will be nominating today for an award, who shared this video on Facebook and you can read/watch it here. One other post that I know has really helped my Mum and other people to pass on to others asking the dreaded question that is so difficult to answer, 'but what is M.E??', is this 'Sleepydust video' which I shared here. If you haven't already watched it or you don't know much about this condition, then do yourself a favour and watch it to give you a little more insight into this very debilitating condition. After the ice was broken the rest was pretty much history.

I think there are so many wonderful M.E blogs out there and credit goes to those people behind these blogs who keep writing about this day in and day out, it sure takes a great deal of courage, energy and dedication and it offers such a wonderful support to so many sufferers who so desperately need it, so thank you!!

So without further ado, I would like to nominate this award to:

First up is my lovely and gorgeous friend Leisa behind the very chic and stylish blog Vintage Bird Girl. I love everything about Leisa's blog, not only does this girl have the worlds biggest collection of fabulous vintage clothes, but she has oodles of style and what I love most about her is her get up and go and ALWAYS positive outlook on life, regardless of her health. I have become so very fond of her and it feels lovely that we have established a close bond outside of our blogs too, it is just such a shame she lives on the other side of the world. Even though Leisa doesn't write specific ME posts on her blog, she is a very strong advocate for it on Facebook and is clearly very passionate about it too.

Then we have the very lovely Annie from Knitsofacto who admittedly doesn't write specific ME posts, but as a fellow sufferer she has been incredibly supportive of my little space and especially my health.

Rosie from the Old Magnolia Tree - I really enjoy Rosie's blog as it is always such an honest account of life and one would never know that Rosie has been struggling with Fybromyalgia for some time. I love her crochet work too and it has been a gift to meet someone else also battling daily with the challenges that come with living a life with Fybromyalgia.

Then there is also the lovely Sue from Sweetpea Family, whom Clare already nominated.

So for those of you who need to pass it forward, here are all the information that you will need.

ME & CFS & FMS BLOGGER AWARDS:

Awarded by bloggers, to other bloggers, to acknowledge outstanding endeavour in promoting awareness of Myalgic Enchephalomylitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and/or Fibromyalgia (FMS).The blogs receiving the awards do not need to be dedicated solely to ME, CFS or FMS, but they should contain at least one post that has helped to increase awareness.It is hoped that these Awards will increase blog readerships and also encourage networking between ME & CFS & FMS bloggers themselves. No matter the title of our diagnosis, patients of these conditions all suffer from a frustrating state of health that is poorly recognised by most of society.

HOW IT WORKS:

1, On receiving the ME & CFS & FMS BLOGGER AWARD, you should be directed to a post that describes why you (and others) have been given this award. The page will also include this set of instructions and the two award images.2. Please note, you do not need accept the award. The aim of the awards is about recognition and a bit of fun, NOT extra work! Please do not feel pressured to participate.3. To claim your award: a) Create a new post on your blog, in which you thank the individual who gave you the award (remember to include a link back to their blog). You can then copy the images to your blog post and/or side bar as you wish.

b) List three to ten blogs that you would like to recommend, giving a brief description of why you think each one is special. A couple of lines is fine, but be sure to include a link to each blog you name (or specific page if you prefer) so that others are encouraged to visit.c) Copy and paste these instructions into your post. Copy from the first *** above, to the last *** below to ensure that every thing is included. (Add the images separately if they don’t copy automatically. Control-Shift-V also removes crazy formatting during pasting if that is a problem. )d) Alert your chosen blog owners to their awards by making a comment on the most recent post of their blogs. The comment could simply read:

“Congratulations, I have nominated your blog to receive an ME & CFS & FMS BLOGGER AWARD. Please visit <insert link to the post you have just created> to collect your Award”3. Hopefully these awards will spread far and wide. I would love to keep track of where the awards end up, so I would be very grateful if participants would also copy their list of awards into a comment beneath this post:http://sallyjustme.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/my-nominations-for-first-me-cfs-fms.html
I hope that collecting all the recommendations in one place will help each of us to find and explore new blogs.

Thank you for reading another looooong post, but some things just has to be done! I hope you all have a lovely weekend ahead of you and that you all enjoy a very special Mothering Sunday. What do you have planned?? We are very hopeful for some good weather as this Mamma here just wants to have a picnic, so fingers crossed the sun shines. The rest of the weekend will be spent getting kids to birthday parties (do they ever stop?) and trying to get organised for our little trip 'home' that is SA for those of you who don't know. I haven't been home now for well over five years as my health has not allowed for it since the little 'princess' was born nearly five years ago now, in fact the last time we visited I was 22 weeks pregnant with her. So you can just imagine that we are all just a little giddy with excitement right now and the kids especially so as they will be meeting their cousins for the very first time!!

I do promise to pop back soon as I am really hopeful to share at least one post with you before we jet off. A big welcome to my new followers, it is so lovely that you have decided to stop by here and I am really looking forward to getting to know you a little better.

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Hello lovely people. I have been meaning to show you this blanket since I finished it in the middle of February, but for whatever reason, it is finally happening today.

I started this blanket during our holiday to Italy last year, it seemed like the perfect poolside companion and also a good way to kill time during our journeys to Pisa, Florence and Rome. Sadly due to my fund raising commitments at the end of last year it was put to one side as soon as we returned from holiday and it didn't get a look in until shortly after Christmas.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this throw, not only was it very easy crocheting, but it was also the perfect companion through the cold and dark winter months whilst watching countless episodes of Silent Witness and Sherlock.

All in all it took me around two months to make my Spring Throw, baring in mind that I very rarely crochet during the day and generally only crochet for around 45 minutes max whilst I watch telly at night. So if you have a little more time each day, you could whip this up in no time at all.

﻿

I used Stylecraft Special DK and followed a pattern from Catherine Hirst's book Granny Square Crochet, which I have spoken about here and even though I wouldn't say that this is to my usual taste, I am just a little in love with this throw. I am very much a muted colour kinda gal (greys, pinks, greens, blues, etc), but I love the zingy and zesty spring colours and it certainly knows just how to lift the soul. It also feeds my current obsession with anything yellow!

The process was devoid of any systemic approach with regards to the combination of colours, but that worked well for me. Vibrant and free.

For the border I just worked the recommended crab stitch edging, largely because I was curious about how it would look. I must confess that I was very tempted to give this blanket a picot edge, but in the end, I went for the simple crab stitch, which I personally think is a little to simple for my liking. Maybe one day I will feel the need to redo the edging, but for now it is happily lying on our bed waiting for warmer days so I can pack away the eiderdown to reveal its full beauty.

﻿

This is the second blanket that I have crocheted and I must say that despite hubby's comment that we don't need any more blankets around the house, I am already secretly planning the next, which I suspect will be another picnic blanket (ssshhh don't tell him! Lets hope he's not reading this post!). What is it with my obsession with picnic blankets? I suspect that it is my constant yearning for a little sun and some warmer days where we can ground ourselves whilst lazing around somewhere by a brook enjoying family picnics.

One of the things that I love about blogging is that you can look back over your achievements and record your emotions surrounding a particular project too. We often forget how we felt when we made something or the exact time we made it, what inspired it, etc. Life is short and precious and I often feel so grateful that I can surround myself with handmade things that bring a little colour and joy into my life.

Before I go I just wanted to say thank you to each and everyone of you who read and commented on my Balance post. It was something that I just felt an intense urge to write. Thank you for all your words of wisdom, love and support, you are all pretty AMAZING!

Friday, 14 March 2014

Life is a gift and one I am truly grateful for. Each day my understanding of gratitude changes and improves, I have learnt, through meditation over the years that gratitude is something we can feel, touch, taste, hear, something that awakens the most intimate parts of our bodies and minds, but it is something we so seldom sit and really embrace

The last few months have been somewhat of an interesting journey for me, one that has brought many questions to the forefront of my mind and one that has left me a little unsettled as I confirm yet again that I am still an all or nothing kinda gal, one who dives in the deep end and shriek with joy as I approach the biggest waves, one that loves the thrill of fear, the buzz you get from looking for your next gear placement whilst half way up a mountain, one that thrives on the excitement of getting my wheel just in the right place on a thread bare downhill single track. My association with life is to live to the fullest, with a glass always half full, so when I embarked on yet another journey to wellness in January, I dived in with all fours with new excitement and hope that this journey would be the one that will finally bring me closer to improved health and finding the essence is of my existence.

You see life is a little like balancing spinning plates and one that requires skill and precision. Over the last couple of months I have worked closely on learning this skill and building on my existing knowledge and if I am honest it has been a struggle. Often it feels like this work-life balance is an illusion, one that despite our best attempts we can only maintain the perfect balance with our pretty plates spinning at the right time and right place for a certain time before we realise that we are missing something, balance and the inevitable chaos that comes with being human.

Right now I am standing at the edge of reason, as I face the next phase. You see I have faced three months of sheer dedication and focus on my health during the day with a dedicated morning to healing, rest after lunch and spend my time as a good mum in the afternoon, wife in the evening, before I pamper my tender loins for a good nights rest, and injecting any spare time I have into research. Don't get me wrong I am loving my new routine, it is a pleasure, I rise get my kids to school, come home do some gentle yoga followed by a long meditation, prepare my lunch and do the must-do jobs and read up about foods, go to bed, rest, get up and so on. My soul feels calm, grounded, nourished and loved and for the first time in my life I feel pretty happy in my skin, happy with who I am, grateful for my being and excited about my future.

One slight problem is that some pretty plates have fallen by the wayside, I miss my sewing machine, my crochet hooks, my embroidery floss and most of all feeling balanced in the sense that only works for me. There are no right answers, there are no gimmicks, this is life at the core, in the deep end, but I can swim and I want to and somehow I know with time I will find my balance.

For now, I feel a little torn, like I am leading a double life. You see, I made the decision earlier this year that I would really inject every ounce of my being into my recovery and for me the best way I could see this happen is through doing what I am doing now, but also to finally start a blog where I could write about my journey to recovery. Over two years ago, from my bed, I made a feeble attempt at starting and ME blog, nothing about it felt right, but now I am geared up and ready. My focus will predominantly be around food and as a result I have started a new Instagram account called Scrummytritious, the name I hope to use for my new blog when I get around to it. It feels a little strange to be living two sides of your life, but it works for me.

Cosmos and Cotton has been my savour during a time when I needed to reconnect with the world and re-engage my brain. You see four walls can get pretty lonely at times and this little space has given me light, love and hope, but above all a place where I can express the creative side of me and talk about family and gardening. My need to be creative has always been there, since I was a little girl and I love that Cosmos and Cotton has become a little platform for me where I can feel inspired by like minded souls. This little space was never really intended for ME, but its my life and ME is such a BIG part of it, I couldn't keep it separate. Now however I feel ready to do a little more, be a little more focussed and I honestly don't want to start incorporating my weekly journey with M.E here, so I feel it best to shift the gears in a different direction. This comes at a strange time, especially seeing that the very lovely and dear friend Clare have recently nominated me for this rather special award for promoting ME awareness, which I will share with you soon.

For now though, things may be a little quiet here, but that is just because I keep dropping these plates and I am learning how to balance everything without loosing the essence of what I am setting out to achieve. You see like those spinning plates we can try our best with everything at once, but generally it only lasts a few days, weeks, months or years before something happens to disrupt it. I want to find a lifestyle that I can keep, one that will see me through the rest of my days even when I am well again and this will take some time to figure out.

I know this is a really long post and one with very few photos, it just goes to show it can be done. It can be so powerful to put your thoughts on paper and really appreciate the enormity of what you are trying to achieve in life. I am missing you all and you are never far from my thoughts and I am hopeful that one day soon I will find the perfect equilibrium, for now though Namaste.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Hello lovely peeps, its such a beautiful day here in the north of England, in fact its the third beautiful day we have had in a row. It feels so lovely to wake up to clear blue skies and a bright and big sun that beams beautiful warm sunshine onto your skin. I almost felt blinded when I took the kids to school this morning, it feels good to know that hot goddess is back, oh joys.

On Sunday we made the very most of this glorious weather and packed a picnic, our second of the year, I think, and set off to a lovely little place called Hare Hill, a really pretty little spot that's perfect for my wheels and the kids. My gorgeous man kindly made some gluten, dairy and soy free bread and after a lovely gentle yoga and meditation practice we set off to go and count some Hares.

The kids loved exploring and searching for the 12 carved hares scattered around the grounds. This is the first time that we actually managed to get around most of the grounds. Thank you National Trust for doing an amazing job making it a little more wheelchair friendly. Finding wheelchair friendly places to visit can often be a little bit of a challenge, but fortunately I have my trusty forever fell running pusher who is happy to go anywhere, apparently it's all good training (and given my weight, errm I reckon the man might just be right for once! Operative word being once!).

Halfway into our walk we found the perfect little spot for our picnic. It was really lovely and quiet as other people tend to have theirs within the walled garden, but little Es knew best.

The kids ran around, climbed trees and had heaps of fun learning how to skim stones on water

We all thoroughly enjoyed the day and what I loved most about it was that the kids were outside straight after breakfast and didn't come in till around 6pm. It makes such a lovely change after months of being cooped up indoors and it sure feels like a rather lovely tease for a beautiful Spring to follow.

So now on to the exciting bit, the winner. I roped little Es in yesterday afternoon as we had a lovely girly afternoon with big brother away at a play date and it seemed like a good opportunity for her to write her numbers. Who needs a random number selector when you have a trusty four year old to assist.

numbers were written in a fashion and popped into a hat and in less than two shakes of a lambs tail little Es selected the winner

Congratulations Heather from the lovely blog my little red suitcase, please leave me a comment with your email address so I can get in touch with you.

There has been quite a few things happening here in our little pad, but one of them is finally getting some new shelves in my kitchen. When we knocked the wall through two years ago, we lost the majority of our cupboards and even though we have acquired an island with good storage and a lovely big sideboard, I am forever needing more space, so I am tres happy with these. All they need now is a little paint and maybe some lovely wallpaper, time will tell. ﻿

That's all for today my lovelies. Wishing you all a skippity hoppity day.

Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Hello lovelies, I hope you are all enjoying a good week. Mine has most certainly been perked up by a gorgeous parcel I received from a bloggy friend. Towards the end of last year the lovely Marianne from Ladybird Diaries suggested we did a little swap and needless to say there was no delay in the uptake. After a few emails with some specific questions, we both settled on something for the kitchen.

Before I go into the detail of what I sent Marianne, I am dying to share my gorgeous gifts with you.

The parcel was so beautifully wrapped and I just loved the handwritten letter, it feels like ages since I've received a proper letter and it felt super special, thank you Marianne.

So in my gorgeously wrapped parcel was the loveliest of tea towels, with lots of beautiful hand appliqued flowers on it. I love the fabrics that Marianne chose for the flowers and I must say it is already looking beautiful in the kitchen.

Next Marianne crocheted this gorgeous potholder, which I absolutely LOVE!!! It fits in perfectly with the rest of my collection and if one day life will bless me with a few more hours each day I might get around to making many more of these for my potholder wall that I keep dreaming about. Needless to say I am smitten to bits with this beauty!

Lastly Marianne sent me this rather gorgeous and sweet sign for the kitchen and she added this beautiful crochet heart to it, such a special and pretty touch and I heart it! I am currently trying to find the perfect little spot for it as it definitely needs to be appreciated every day. Thank you Marianne, you have really spoilt me and I love each and every one of the gorgeous gifts you made.

From the outset I had it in my mind that I wanted to have a go at making these pretty little potholders by Amy from Nana Company. I have been meaning to do these for such a long time and finally I had the perfect excuse to play. Thanks to Amy's wonderful tutorial, it was really straightforward and I really enjoyed the process, in fact I am already looking forward to making myself some at some point.

what I really like about them is the little pocket for your hands and also the gorgeous little frill, it just gives it that extra little girly touch. Amy is so clever and if you haven't already visited her lovely blog do yourself a favour as there is a mountain of gorgeousness awaiting you.

I didn't follow the instructions to the letter (yes I know its becoming a bit of a habit), but I felt a little unsure about gluing the back of the bias binding before top stitching it from the front, so I decided to hand stitch the back of the bias in place, just like one would do with a quilt, and personally I think it gives it a neater finish. Marianne told me that her current love was red polka dots, so I had fun incorporating it into both the potholders.

I spotted this lovely cup a few weeks ago and I thought of Marianne, so it only seemed right that it went to the right home. To ensure that it got there in one piece I had to post everything in a rather big shoe box, which I covered in some old wallpaper I had lying around. Isn't it amazing what a little paper and glue can achieve?!

All in all it was such a fun project and I really enjoyed getting to know Marianne a little better too. I also love the fact that slowly there are little bits from other bloggers lying around the house giving me a gentle reminder of the people behind these gorgeous makes. It was my first unofficial swap and I must say I am already looking forward to the next.

Now before I go, I just wanted to say that there is still a couple of days left to enter my giveaway that you can read about here.

Sunday, 2 March 2014

On Friday just gone this little space turned ONE, can you believe that?! Honestly I can't believe that a year has gone by since I did my very first post, how time flies when you're having fun!

So as a little something I wanted to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all you LOVELY people who have been coming back time and time again to read the dribble that I write. When I started this blog, I just wanted to get my head working again after years in bed with serious brain fog and I honestly did expect anything more. I don't think any of you really understand just how much you have meant to me over the last year, you have been my rock through troubling waters, you've kept me smiling at times when I just couldn't see the light. I feel so very blessed that I have met so many wonderful and special people and made some very special friends along the way too. Thank you to each and everyone of you, you really are amazing.

So as a sign of appreciation I am giving away a few bits, which I am happy to post anywhere around the world. This is the mandala that I spoke about here and the book is one I love, so I figured that there might be a few more likeminded souls out there who will enjoy it too. Then there had to be something for the kitchen, as it just wouldn't have felt right without, so a nifty book full of pretty preserve labels to enjoy. I think they come in really handy for your sewing bits and bobs too.

All you need to do is to follow my blog and leave me a little comment to tell me what your fave post was this year and that's it. Entries must be in by next Sunday the 9th at 12pm GMT, and I will draw a name from that hat during the Monday and will announce the winner on Tuesday the 11th.

Monthly Mand-a-long Grab Button

Etsy Shop

Weekly Bake

Liebster Award Nomination

Follow this blog with bloglovin

Follow by Email

Something about me

Welcome to Cosmos and Cotton, I am so pleased you have stopped by and I hope you enjoy your time here. For this blog I am using Hannapat, the name my Mother called me when I was growing up and it holds a very special place in my heart. I am so blessed that we have a special bond. She has inspired me throughout my life and continue to do so even whilst being on the other side of the world.
I am happily married to a husband I adore and we have two wonderful children whom bring so much joy to our lives. I love spending time with them and being part of the journey in life. I love filling my days with moments of making or creating. I enjoy thrifting and finding little gems and there is nothing more rewarding than finding some old tat and turning it into something beautiful. A year and a half ago I started crocheting and it's fair to say that I am completely hooked!! I just wish there was more time to put yarn around my hook.
This blog is a diary of my life and I hope to share some fun and wonderful moments with you all. I have been so inspired by creative spirits and their blogs over the years and I hope I can return the favour. Hannapat